Northgate Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge

What’s happening now?

SDOT issued a Mitigated Determination of Non-Significance (MDNS) to satisfy the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) on April 2, 2018. The public comment period ended on April 16, 2018. The appeal period ended April 23, 2018.

Thank you to all who submitted comments. We’re reviewing comments and will respond to inquiries shortly. The MDNS and supporting information can be viewed in our project materials library on this website.

Also, check out our spring 2018 outreach summary to get a recap of the 3 March drop-in sessions we hosted and the North Seattle College’s Earth Fair. You can also view our environmental fact sheet and display boards from the drop-in sessions in our project materials library.

Project Overview

The Northgate neighborhood is a major residential and employment destination that continues to grow. With the completion of Sound Transit’s Link light rail station in 2021, the neighborhood is poised to become one of the region’s most active transit hubs. Today, a 10-lane interstate divides the neighborhood, and to walk between North Seattle College and the existing transit center is 25 minutes or more.

Connecting communities on the east and west sides of I-5 in Northgate

We’re designing a new, accessible, all ages and abilities pedestrian and bike bridge over Interstate 5 (I-5) in Northgate. The Northgate Ped/Bike Bridge will improve access to communities, services, and opportunities on the east and west sides of I-5 in Northgate and Licton Springs, helping knit together a historically divided area. It’ll also reduce travel time for people walking and biking between the east and west sides of I-5. When complete, the bridge will help connect the neighborhood’s thriving job and retail centers with the rest of the city and region.

The new bridge will span roughly 1,900 feet over I-5, landing at North Seattle College on the west side and at 1st Ave NE and NE 100th St, near the future light rail station, on the east side.

The project consists of four main parts:

Bridge spans over I-5

Western approach between North Seattle College and wetland area, connecting to College Way N and N 100th St

Eastern approach between I-5 and 1st Ave NE at NE 100th St, near the King County Transit Center

Multi-use path along 1st Ave NE

The project will benefit the area by providing:

A new connection over I-5, decreasing travel times for people walking and biking between the 2 sides of the highway

Safety improvements and access for people walking and biking throughout the Northgate area

Better access to regional transit at the King County Transit Center and future Link light rail station, resulting in increased use of transit facilities

Improved connections between the Northgate retail center for its employees and customers and for residents and visitors to other nearby amenities, such as parks and medical and social services

Project Location

Design Rendering

The user experience walking or biking across the bridge.

A view of the bridge, looking east.

Recent Cost-Saving Changes

We formed a new design team in 2016 to help reduce project costs and meet project goals. The team developed a bridge design that includes the following cost-saving changes and design improvements:

Original Design (prior to 2017)

Revised Design (2017 to present)

20-foot wide walkway on bridge

16-foot wide walkway on bridge

2,100-foot long bridge length

Shortened bridge length to 1,900 feet

East approach conflicted with WSDOT Park-and-Ride at 1st Ave NE

East approach modified as it touches down near 1st Ave NE, simplifying the connection and preserving the WSDOT Park-and-Ride lot

West approach included stairs at the North Seattle College, with limited sight distance

West approach modified to improve sight distances and make a more direct connection

Complicated construction approach

Standard construction approach to reduce project duration

Tube/truss design (enclosed)

More open structure and more graceful bridge transition

Finally, an added benefit of the revised design is enhanced user experience with features such as a wetland wildlife overlook and a view of arriving light rail trains at NE 100th St.

What We’ve Heard

Based on community input throughout the project, we know there’s interest in:

Minimizing environmental impacts of the bridge by making sure, for example, that the project doesn’t disturb wildlife during construction and ensuring the bridge’s drainage system (for stormwater) is designed to enhance wetlands on the west end

Ensuring safety and security of all bridge travelers

Wayfinding and traffic control

The experience of people biking and using other wheeled devices (e.g., scooters, wheelchairs, strollers, rollerblades, suitcases, etc.)

Connecting the bridge to other infrastructure, including neighborhood bike routes

Separating or managing modes of traffic on the bridge

Other topics of interest included the project’s cost, the bridge’s durability, and maintaining vegetation.

We value the community input provided to date and thank you all for your continued interest.

Schedule

We expect construction to begin in 2019 and to be complete in 2020, prior to the opening of the Link light rail station in 2021.

click on image to view larger

Funding

We’ve secured funding from various sources in addition to the voter-approved Move Seattle levy. These include SDOT, Sound Transit, Washington State, and additional local funds.

Get Involved

In the months ahead as we finalize project design, you'll have opportunities to learn about the refined design and provide feedback on environmental review. Email is the best way to stay up to date on the project and to get notifications about outreach events.